does anyone else have a problem with energy saving bulbs lasting only 5 months?

Question

we have been encouraged to use these new energy saving light bulbs by our local council ,fair enough we get them free but they last less time normal ones and sometimes they work sometimes they don't one day there dull the next there bright help me out does anyone eles have this problem?and what can i do to sort the problem
thanks folks

Answer 1

Most of them are just more Chinese junk. Wait till one explodes or starts on fire for you. And don't forget the mercury inside when you dispose of them. They do save money on electricity, but at what cost?

Answer 2

there has not been nearly enough information released on compact fluorescent bulbs. i have been doing some of my own research lately and have had a hard time getting questions answered. C F Lbulbs do save money in the long run and will last longer than an incandescent but in order to do this you must leave them on for at least 15 minutes each time. if not you will not save any money and they will not last very long. also any C F L bulb that is more than 20 watts should not be installed in a fixture that is completely covered with a globe. the glass part of the bulb stays cool but the porcelain heats up. also many people try hooking them up to a dimmer switch and they do not work well that way. i live in Canada and like most other countries we are going to be forced to use nothing but C F L bulbs but i really don't think there has been enough research and information to the general public so far.

Answer 3

Maybe the bulbs you have are super cheap or there is something wrong with the wiring in our house. When we bought our house 5 years ago, we replaced almost all the bulbs with the fluorescent bulbs. They are nice and bright, come on instantly, and we have only had to change two. Word to the wise, they make a humming/buzzing sound when used on dimming lights (where you turn the knob to adjust brightness).

The only two we had to change were from the same place, and the older bulbs seemed to blow out frequently so it was something to do with the socket - not the bulbs.

Answer 4

They must be poor quality lamps, I've fitted thousands of these and never had early failures. Try decent branded ones, like Philips, Osram and GE. They will not last for 6 years if on for 24 hours a day! the life is between 8000 and 12000 hours, depending which you buy. The couple of minutes warm up time is a small price to pay for the energy savings.

Answer 5

I mark the date I install them on the cfl bulbs. THEY DON"T LAST! There is no savings for me with the high price of the bulbs when they only last a few months. The only consolation, if you contact the company, they'll send you a replacement. I don't like the light they give off and they take too long to get fully bright. They are good for outside lights that are on all night, but not when it gets cold outside.

Answer 6

I use the energy saving flourescent bulbs and haven't had a problem with them. In fact, I havent had to replace any in my home yet and have had them for a year and a half. When you first turn them on they arent very bright. It takes a couple of minutes for them to "warm up"

Answer 7

In Canada they are not free.. they cost around 3 times more than the regular bulbs.. They say they are also supposed to last 5 to 7 years but mine burn out in under a year...

Answer 8

We only use them where they're going to be on for some time, such as in the living room. They're useless where you need immediate light as in the case of the stairs or the bathroom for those middle of the night trips, as they need to warm up first. They're also unsuitable for use with dimmers.

If you use them where you're frequently switching them on and off, I suspect that shortens their life. Plus, of course, if they're freebies perhaps the council is using the cheapest they can find . . .

Answer 9

they're florescent, not really made to be turned off and on like a regular bulb. Turn them on and leave them on they'll still use less energy and last longer. Otherwise they'll only last a few months.

Answer 10

You must be having bad luck. I started installing them in my house as the old style ones burnt out. That has been at least two years and I haven't had to replace one yet.